Game board



Patented Mar. 30, 1937.

UNITED STATES GAME BOARD Harry Goldwin Smith, Napanee, Ontario, Canada Application April 13,

7 Claims.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel form of game device in which skill will be required and which will call into play competitive elforts and to provide a form of 5 device which will be both fascinating and edueating.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the novel construction of a game board in which a plurality of slats, forming the playing l surface over which a ball is caused to roll, are capable of being both rocked and tilted by the competitive actions of the players to control the direction of movement of the ball whereby the ball may be directed toward one or the other of l spaced goals.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a game board constructed in accordance with the present invention and particularly adapted to the playing of a game of hockey.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 showing the centre slats tilted and illustrating the manner in which the ball may be bodily displaced by sharp tilting action of one of the slats.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the arrangement of one of the control handles and the manner in which the slats are permitted a limited freedom of movement.

Figure 5 is a perspective detail of the goal protecting device.

Game boards for playing various games have been devised from time to time in which the displacement of a ball or other mobile playing object over the playing surface was effected by competitive manipulative eiorts of a number of players and the present invention represents a novel form of structure in this eld.

Referring particularly to the form of the invention shown in the drawing by way of illustration I propose to form a rectangular frame composed of sides and end members I and 2 respectively, suitably secured together at the ends.

A fulcrum member 3 is secured transversely of the frame intermediate of the length thereof, and a strip 3 of felt or other suitable cushioning material is secured on the top side thereof. A series of slats 4, 5, 6 and I are arranged to fit loosely within the frame with a slight space therebetween and to rest in rocking contact on the felt strip on the member 3. Stop members 8 and 9 are secured to the frame ends in overlapped relation to the end portions of the slats 55 and at such a height as to permit a limited rock- 1935, Serial N0. 16,116

ing or tilting movement of the slats on the fulcrum member before contacting therewith.

Slots 8' are formed through the stop member 8 directly above the slats 4 and 5 and control handles l' and 5 secured to the respective slats G and 5 extend upwardly through the slots 8', which are large enough to permit a limited endwise sliding and rocking movement or side tilt of the slats.

The stop 9 has a, pair of slots 9' corresponding to the holes 8 arranged directly above the end of the slats 5 and l and handle elements 6 and l secured to the said slats extend upwardly through the slots in a loose rocking fashion so that the slats 5 and 'I may be rocked, tilted 01 vdisplaced in a manner similar to the slats Il and 5. It will thus be seen thateach alternate slat is under the competitive control of an opposing player so that the players at opposite ends will have control of an outside slat and an alternate inside slat, each of which may be rocked ortilted as the player sees fit.

An arc shaped end is formed at each end of the playing surface by mounted on the individual slats a series of segments IU and II respectively Which segments present collectively at each end a curved surface for deilectional contact with the ball I2. These segments I0 and Il alsol act in conjunction with the side members I of the frame in retaining the playing member I2 on the board. Recesses I3 and I4, representing goals, are formed partly in the upper faces of the adjoining slats 5 and 6 adjacent the ends thereof and half circles of closely spaced pins I 3 and I4 surround the outward sides of these recesses I3 and I4 and form the goal net and the object is to cause the ball I2 to` be so played as to enter the goal of the opponent player.

The fulcrum support 3 is directly below the centre line and it is preferred to provide a pair of upstanding mating socket elements I5 and I6 or the equivalent secured respectively to the slats 5 and 6 to form a socket recess at the upper end on which the playing ball, representing the puck is initially placed for the face oi. A circular barrier of pins II may be placed around the face ofi member and it is formed with openings I8 and I9 arranged on theslats 6 and 5 respectively, through which the ball may be caused to roll by manipulating the slats with tilting or jerking movements. This barrier may be dispensed with if desired.k A

Two series of pins 20 and 2| are arranged to extend transversely of the slats at points representing the blue lines and these are sufficiently widely spaced to permit the ball to roll therebetween, but will deflect or stop the ball if it imf pinges there-against. Sloping barriers or hur.- dles and 2| are arranged on the slats 4 and 1 respectively extending from the respective Iblue lines toward the outward ends to increase the hazard of shooting the puck into the goal from the outside slats and also to` increase the hazard of clearing the goal when the puck is in close.

A series .of closely spaced pins 22 extend angu- .larly across the slats 6 and 5, adjacent the respective goals I3 and I4, which tend to deflect the ball toward the goals, and obstruction pins 23 are arranged forwardly of the goals on the slats 5 and G respectively.

Crooked slots 24 are formed in the slats 5 and 6 between the pins 22 and the goals, and in each of these slots is housed a crooked pin secured in the side of the adjacent slat. The upward tilting of` the inward edge of the slat carrying the crooked pin will cause the pin to project angularly upward from the slot, which, if it encounters the puck, will drive it away from the goal with a remarkably sharp movement.

Additional pins or hazards may be arranged, or the specic arrangement of the hazards may be altered without departing from the spirit of this invention, and it will be vfurther understood that the construction of the game board herein presented, while particularly dened in connection with a representative hockey game may, with equal facility, be applied to the playing of a variety of other games.

It may also be found advantageous to permit a limited endwise sliding movement of the slats and the slot 8 and 9 through which the handles pass are sufciently long so that the ball, in advancing toward one end of the board, may be met with an oppositional force by sliding the slat on which it is rolling at the exact instant that it meets with one of the obstructions or hazards.

What I claim as my invention is:-

1. A competitive game board having a playing surface formed by a plurality of paired slats, means supporting each slat for independent 1ongitudinal rocking and transverse tilting movement to impart directional eiect to a mobile object contacting therewith, one slat of the pair being operable from one end only of the game board and the other slat of the pair being operable from the other end only of the game board whereby opposed players may simultaneously manipulate the respective slats to compete for the control of the mobile object.

2. A competitive game board having a playing surface formed by a plurality of paired slats each capable of longitudinal rocking and transverse tilting movement to impart directional eiect to a mobile object placed thereon, one slat of the pair being operable from one end only of the game board and the other slat of the pair being operable from the other end only of the game board whereby opposed players may simultaneously manipulate the respective slats to compete for the control of the mobile object, and a common fulcrum support for all of said slats extending transversely thereunder at substantially the midpoint in the length of said slats whereby the slats are each in substantially longitudinal balance thereon and each capable of longitudinal rocking and transverse tilting displacement on said come mon fulcrum support.

3. A competitive game device as claimed in claim 1 in which said slats include a pair of slats disposed edge to edge and each controllable by a diierent player, and goal pockets are provided at each end of the said pair of slats, each goal pocket being disposed partly on one slat and partly on the other slat whereby the said goals are mutually disposed on the slats of opposing players.

4. A competitive game device as claimed in claim 1 in which said slats include a pair of slats disposed edge to edge and e-ach controllable by a different player, and goal pockets are provided at each end of the said pair of slats, each goal pocket being disposed partly on one slat and partly on the other slat whereby the said goals are mutually disposed on the slats of opposing players, and means forming a centre socket for the mobile unit mutually disposed relative to the said pair of competitively controlled slats whereby manipulation of either slat will release the mobile unit from the socket.

5. A competitive game device as claimed in claim 1 in which said slats include a .pair of slats disposed edge to edge and each controllable by a different player, and goal pockets are provided at each end of the said p-air of slats, each goal pocket being disposed partly on one slat and partly on the other slat whereby the said goals are mutually disposed on the slats of opposing players, means forming a mutually disposed centre socket for the mobile unit on the said pair of competitively controlled slats whereby manipulation of either slat will release the mobile unit from the socket, means carried mutually on said pair of slats forming an obstructing barrier to the free movement of the mobile unit after same has been released from the mutual socket, and a series of projections mounted on the competitively manipulated slats with the projections of one slat aligned with the projections of the adjacent slat or slats in the transverse direction to represent the blue lines in a hockey game.

6. A competitive game device as claimed in claim l in which said slats include a pair of slats disposed edge to edge and each controllable by a different player, and goal pockets are provided at each end of the said pair of slats, each goal pocket being disposed partly on one slat and partly on the other slat whereby the said goals are mutually disposed on the slats of opposing players, each of said pair of slats having an obstructing member adapted to be manipulated into obstructing relation to the portion of the goal in the opponents slat by movement of the first-mentioned slat.

7. Means as claimed in claim 1 in which stop members overlie the extreme ends of the slats toward and away from which the slats are individually movable during manipulation and a series of individual segments secured to the ends of the slats in overlapping relation to the inward sides of said stop members to present collectively arc-shaped ends to the playing surface to impart a deectional or turning eiect to the mobile object on striking same, and farming individual obstructions on the slats to prevent the mobile playing object from becoming lodged between said stop members and the slats to foul the operation of the slats.

HARRY GOLDWIN SMITH. 

